


Promise

by darkcyan



Category: Books of the Raksura - Martha Wells
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-30
Updated: 2016-06-30
Packaged: 2018-07-19 05:22:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7346845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darkcyan/pseuds/darkcyan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jade had said she'd leave at dawn.  </p><p>(A missing scene from <i>The Siren Depths</i>)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Promise

**Author's Note:**

  * For [merellia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/merellia/gifts).



> Because when the books give us such gems as 
> 
> _"Did Frost make trouble?"_  
>  _"She did at first, but I told her that another queen had stolen you and I was going to fight her for you, and she was happy with that."_
> 
> What else am I to do but wonder what happened? :D

_He’ll think I abandoned him._

“I can’t wait _weeks_.”

Jade stared at Heart, tail lashing.  Her arm and shoulder throbbed dully, reminding her of what a _stupid_ idea it had been to go after that … whatever it was.  To have responded at all instead of sending more of the warriors to deal with it, when she’d told Moon she’d leave at dawn tomorrow and there was still packing she _should_ have been doing instead –

No.  That wasn't the sort of queen she was.  It wasn't the sort of queen she wanted to be.  And she knew that if Moon were here, he’d have been right there with her. 

Ahead of her, probably.  Getting injured in her place, the idiot –

But he wasn’t.

“You’ll have to,” Heart said, voice uncomfortably sympathetic.  “If you shift –”

“The break might transfer to my wing and then I’d be out of commission even longer.  I know.” Jade forced herself to still, to settle her raised frills. None of this was Heart's fault. “Thanks.”

Heart shook her head.  “I wish I could do more.”

 _If Flower were here_ – hung between them for a moment, louder than words. 

And that wasn’t fair either.  “Even Flower couldn’t have healed a broken bone in a day,” Jade said. 

Heart smiled weakly, then abruptly turned back to her kit, packing her tools and simples back away with sure fingers.  “Just remember, no shifting,” she repeated, voice a credible approximation of brusque. “And don’t strain yourself, either.”

That would be difficult, when Jade felt like she was about to burst.  “I’ll try.”

* * *

“Pacing isn’t going to make you heal any faster,” Balm said.  She leaned against the entry to Jade’s bower, arms crossed.

Jade turned and glared.  “Sitting still and doing nothing won’t, either.”

“True,” Balm agreed.  “It might make the Arbora less nervous, though.”

“Why do you think I’m not out pacing the common areas?” Jade snapped, and immediately regretted it.  “Sorry. I’m just …”

“I know.  But it’s only been two days, and Moon said he’d wait. He’ll be there.”

Jade wished she shared her clutchmate’s optimism.  But she couldn’t help but remember the strain in Moon’s face when he’d made that promise; the way he’d left almost everything behind, including the bracelet that he must have _known_ was his to keep.

And even if Moon was willing to wait an extra couple of days, would he really wait the _weeks_ it would take for her to heal properly?  Or would he take it as further proof that she wasn't coming after all, that she'd just lied to make him feel better?

“I don’t –”

“Jade! Balm!”  Balm stepped out of the entryway, amused, just before Root skidded through it.  “Stone’s back! And he brought another ship!”

* * *

The next several hours kept Jade almost busy enough to forget the still-persistent ache in her shoulder and arm; the way that, when left idle, her thoughts always seemed to end up returning to Moon. 

She’d greeted Delin with genuine fondness and pointed him towards a couple of the Arbora, tasked with preparing quarters and provisions for the Golden Islanders.  They had stared up at the mountain-tree with gratifying amounts of awe.  She remembered that feeling, from the first time she'd seen it.  Sometimes it still took her breath away.

Blossom, Bead, and the other returnees had greeted her briefly before heading back inside to catch up with everything they'd missed.  Jade caught a few of them looking around, clearly expecting to see someone else.  She appreciated that no one had asked her directly.  With the speed at which the rumor mill moved, they'd find out soon enough. 

Unfortunately, the one person she’d wanted to talk to most wasn’t there.

She finally found Stone in Pearl's bower, arguing. It didn't take long for her to decide that interfering would do more harm than good.

So she retreated to the bower Stone usually used, and waited.

It wasn't too long before she heard footsteps in the hall.  They paused briefly, and when Stone appeared at the entryway not long after, he spared her little more than a glance before heading over to where he’d left his spare clothing stacked.

“You’re going to Opal Night?” Jade asked.  Hoping.

“Of course I am,” Stone replied brusquely.  “ _Someone_ has to straighten out this mess, since apparently it didn’t occur to anyone else to just tell them to buzz off.”

If only she’d clutched already –!

But that was a tangled knot she could deal with later.

“… I’m glad you’re back,” Jade said quietly.  She hesitated.  “When you see Moon, tell him –”

What?  That she missed him?  That she wished she _had_ told Tempest to go away and to and tell Opal Night to do the same?  That she was sorry for hiding the truth from him for as long as she had? That his absence left a hole in the court that everyone felt, her most of all? That –

“Tell him I’m coming,” she said. 

Stone rested a hand on her frilled head, and for a moment she was a fledgling again, solemnly convinced that he knew and could do everything. (Part of her probably still believed that.)  “I will,” he said.

* * *

With Stone on his way to explain the delay and her arm still healing infuriatingly slowly, Jade found it slightly easier to suppress her impatience and concentrate on the minutiae of rebuilding and interpersonal conflict resolution that took up so much of both her and Pearl’s time. 

Very, very slightly. 

She’d just finished a discussion with Snap – yet _another_ issue with the drains – when Chime poked his head in. 

As soon as Snap left, he said, “I have an idea.”

“About?” Jade attempted to remember what Chime had been working on recently, and realized guiltily that she wasn’t sure.  Keeping an eye on the Arbora working on clearing out the platforms?

Watching him almost bounce in place, the way he used to when talking about a book he’d just read, it was disturbingly easy to forget that Chime _wasn’t_ an Arbora anymore.

“Getting you to Opal Night.”

Jade leaned forward. “Tell me.”

“I was talking with Delin – that ancestor of his had some truly _strange_ ideas about some of our customs, it's  _fascinating_ – and he mentioned not having seen Moon in a while, and I was telling him –”

“Chime,” Balm said. 

“Right, sorry.” Chime smiled self-consciously.  “Delin said he’d take us to Opal Night.  If you wanted.”

The right thing to do would be to consider what it would look like, appearing in a boat run by groundlings.  Whether the impression that would give – strange at best – was worth the handful of days she’d gain by leaving now.

“Yes.”

Balm shot her a look.  “What does he get out of it?”

Chime spread his hands.  “He just said, ‘Do you think an old man like me would really say no to the chance to see, not just one, but _two_ Raksura courts?’”

Jade laughed, and if there was more relief than amusement in the sound, she doubted either of the others would fault her for it. “Tell him yes.”

* * *

Jade sorted through her cache of jewelry, examining each piece carefully before setting it in one of two piles: the larger, to stay here; the smaller, to take with her, along with the one piece she knew for sure was coming. 

It would be important to present herself as respectable; to present Indigo Cloud as a court capable of providing for Moon.  Doubly so given Opal Night’s size and prominence.  It was important to strike a balance, though – if she gave the impression she was trying too hard, they might think she wanted Moon only for his connections.  Neither her pride nor that of Indigo Cloud could allow that, either.  

Honestly, she wanted to leave it all behind and just – go. But the ship needed to replenish its supplies, and it would be best to start out in the morning.  If sorting jewelry was all she could do tonight, then that was what she’d do.

The skittering of clawed feet accompanied by a familiar scent gave Jade just enough warning to look up as Frost burst into her bower, Thorn and Bitter not far behind. 

The young queen’s eyes went straight to Jade’s smaller pile, and the gold armlet that sat at its center. 

“So it is true!” she accused.  “You drove Moon away!”

“I most certainly did _not_.” Jade almost shifted, heedless of her broken arm; even without doing so the look on her face was apparently enough to drive Frost back a step. 

But only that.

“Then why did he leave?  And why did he leave your courting gift behind?”

Jade wished she _didn’t_ know why. She wished she knew how to convince Moon that he wasn’t here on probation. 

But she had no desire to discuss that with Frost. 

“He left because his birth court learned he was still alive and wanted to see him again,” she said instead.  Surely if the three of them had been listening to rumors, they’d have heard that much.

“Well, they can’t have him.” Frost crossed her arms and frowned.  Behind the trio, Bark slid into view, grimacing apologetically.  Jade shook her head slightly when it looked like she was about to come forward.  “Why haven’t you gone to get him back yet?”

“That’s exactly –”

“Oh right, your injury!”  Frost interrupted. “Well.  Then as daughter queen of Indigo Cloud –” and when had that happened, Jade wondered, “— I suppose I’ll just have to go in your place.”

From the stubborn looks on Thorn’s and even Bitter’s faces, it was clear they planned to accompany her. 

“Oh, but I’ll need a warrior entourage to do the proper introductions.” The thought seemed to give Frost a moment’s pause.  Doubtless because the closest she had to a faction, as yet, were the handful of fledglings she shared the nursery with.  “You can lend me Chime.  And Balm.”

An amusing thought, but enough was enough.  “Unfortunately, they’ll be busy,” Jade said pleasantly.  “They’re coming with me tomorrow.  When _I_ go get Moon.”

“But you’re not supposed to shift yet, are you?” Thorn asked, looking worried.

“Not for another few days,” she agreed. 

Bitter leaned into Thorn and whispered something. “Oh! You’re taking the boat?”

“Yes, with Delin’s help.”

“Oh.” Frost looked like she wasn’t sure whether to be pleased or disappointed. “Well.” 

Jade made eye contact with Bark, who started forward.  “All right, how about we –”

“But what if they steal him before you get there?” Frost’s spines flared again.  “What if they want to keep him there and someone _takes_ him?”

Jade’s spines flared in response, and she again resisted the urge to shift.  “Then I will force whatever queen was that foolish to relinquish her claim.”

And have _words_ with Moon.  _After_ she brought him safely home. 

“You’ll fight her?  I want to come watch!” Frost asked.  “With both of us there, they’ll know we’re serious.” 

... Because the best way to convince Opal Night to take them seriously was to reveal that in order to send multiple queens on a formal visit, Indigo Cloud would have to include an adoptee who was barely more than a fledgling. Right.

“But if you did that, Pearl would be left here alone,” Bark said gently.  “And it is also your duty to support your reigning queen.”

“I guess.” Frost’s tail lashed once.

Bitter visibly hesitated before leaning in to whisper something to Frost.

“She wouldn’t _lose_ ,” Frost protested loudly.  Bitter shot Jade an apologetic look.  “She beat _Ranea_.”

“I won’t lose,” Jade affirmed, meeting each of the fledglings’ eyes in turn. “And I’ll bring Moon back. I promise.”

Thorn and Bitter didn't look entirely convinced, but Frost met Jade's eyes and nodded firmly.  “Good.”

* * *

They cast off just after dawn, while most of the colony still slept.  A handful of the Arbora waved as the ship rose gently into the air and began to turn towards Opal Night.

Jade stretched her injured arm and flexed her claws.  Heart had said it would be safe for her to shift in another couple of days, and it would take longer than that for the boat to reach their destination.  By the time they got there, she would be ready. 

_Wait for me, Moon.  I’m coming._


End file.
